The Book of Akbar 132: Verse. The brave stood with firm foot, Trees learned from them how to stand.
The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II 132
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Verse. The brave stood with firm foot, Trees learned from them how to stand.
132.1
At length after great contest, the heavenly aids accompanied the centre and wings of the army and by the Divine aid, there ensued victory and the defeat of the enemy. A great victory for the servants always taking refuge in God became manifest. Sultan Ibrahim was slain unrecognised and in a corner, and numerous Afghans were the harvest of the royal sword, and the caravans of the city of destruction were conducted to the rest-house of annihilation by the escort of victorious soldiers and the flambeaux of world-opening swords. Near the body of Sultan Ibrahim, there lay on one spot five or six thousand dead. The sun had mounted spear-high when the onset of battle began and at noon there blew the breeze of victory, and the north wind of vernal conquest. How can this great victory, which was the masterpiece of fortune, be explained? And how can language describe what is beyond the bounds of comprehension? When Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi came to Hindustan, he was in possession of Khurasan; the kings of Samarqand and Daru-l-Marz and of Khwarizm were subject to him and he had an army of over 100,000 men. Nor was Hindustan subject to one monarch. Rais and Rajas were stationed here and there and were not on terms with one another. Sultan Shihabu-d-din Ghuri came to the conquest of India with 120,000 cuirassiers, mounted on mail-clad horses. Then too, there was no ruler in all that vast territory. And though his brother Ghiyasu-d-din held Khurasan, yet he was not outside his influence.
132.2
His Majesty, the Lord of Conjunction (Timur), at the time of his conquest of Hindustan, gave orders for a muster of his troops in the plain of Samanah, and Maulana Sharafu-d-din 'Ali Yazdi states (Zafarnama II, 83) that the line of the army (tul-i-yesal) occupied a space of six farsakhs in length, and persons experienced in military matters have calculated that a farsakh represents 12,000 horse, consequently, exclusive of the servants of servants (naukar-i-naukar) there were 72,000 horsemen. The servants of servants occupied two kos. His opponent, Mallu Khan, had 10,000 horse and 120 elephants. Yet with all this, many of those in the Lord of Conjunction’s camp were frightened and his Majesty observed the alarm of his soldiers and heard improper remarks from them. And in order to reassure them, he commanded that a palisade should be made of branches of trees, in front of his troops, and that in front of this, a ditch should be dug and that behind that bullocks and buffaloes should be placed opposite each other, and fastened by their necks and feet with leathern thongs. Also many triangular (caltrops) iron prongs were made and it was arranged that foot soldiers should take these and throw them in the way at the time of the onset and when the elephants came on.
132.3
His Majesty Giti-sitani Firdus-makani who was the fourth world-soother (giti-nawaz) of India, in that great victory, which was one of the glorious gifts of God, had not with him more that 12,000 men, both soldiers and others. More astonishing still, his territories consisted of Badakhshan, Qandahar and Kabul. Nor did he get assistance from these countries for his armies; on the contrary, the expenditure, in order to protect some of the borders from the enemy and for other state purposes, was such as to exceed the receipts. And the contest was with Sultan Ibrahim who had nearly 100,000 cavalry and 1,000 war-elephants and who ruled from Bhira to Bihar without an opponent. It was solely by the Divine aid and the assistance of heaven that that glorious work was accomplished. Men of judgment and experience feel powerless to panegyrize properly this masterpiece of the Ages. Hail, Holy One, carrier of the world illuminating light of his Majesty, the king of kings, what marvel if such feats were wrought by Thee! In short, his Majesty Giti-sitani Firdaus-makani, on the rising of the lights of victory glorified his forehead-mirror with the dust of thanksgiving prostration. He proclaimed presents to all mankind and sent his servants to all countries and regions.
132.4
But a deed fit to surpass the lofty designs of those world-opening princes who conquered Hindustan, was the victory of his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani which by the blessing of the existence of his Majesty, the king of kings (Akbar) took place in the plain of Sihrind. Accordingly an account will hereafter be given of how with 3,000 men, he delivered India from Sikandar Sur who had more than 80,000 men. Still stranger is the masterpiece of fortune of the Shadow of God (Akbar) who by the Divine aid so rescued India with a few men from the hands of many rebellious chiefs that the tongue of the Age becomes dumb before it. An abridged account will be given in its proper place. Verse. Should Fortune grant me hope. Heaven, leisure and opportunity. By the kindling society of the truthful, I shall embroider tale upon tale. On this tablet of immortals. I’ll draw a picture for posterity’s behoof.
132.5
On the very day of the victory, his Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani, Amir Khwaja Kalan Beg, Amir Muhammad Kokultash, Amir Yunus ‘Ali, Amir Shah Mansur Barlas, Amir ‘Abdul-l-lah Kitabdar, Amir ‘Ali Khazin were by orders of the king sent with a force to Agra, the capital, the seat of Sultan Ibrahim’s government, to take possession of the treasure. They gave confidence to the inhabitants— who are trusts from God—by diffusing the lights of justice. Sayyid Mahdi Khwaja, Muhammad Sultan Mirza, ‘Adil Sultan, Amir Junaid Barlas, Amir Qatlaq Qadam were sent to Delhi, to preserve the treasures and secret stores of that place and to acquaint the subjects and inhabitants with the royal graciousness. On the same day proclamations of victory were written and sent by couriers to Kabul, Badakhshan and Qandahar. And he himself, on Wednesday, 12 Rajab, (25th April, 1526), alighted at Delhi. On Friday, 21 (4th May) he unfolded the umbrella of fortune in Agra and dispelled the darkness of the land.
132.6
Everyone, small and great, in Hindustan experienced the royal kindness and balminess. Out of his comprehensive kindness, the mother, children and dependants of Sultan Ibrahim were made partakers of his bounty and special stipends were assigned to them. An allowance of a property worth seven lakhs of tankas was made to Ibrahim's mother. Similarly pensions were bestowed on his other relatives. The distracted world was soothed. His Majesty Jahanbani Jannat-ashiyani who had previously arrived at Agra, presented a diamond eight misqals in weight and which was valued by jewellers at one-half of the daily expenditure of the inhabited world. They said that this diamond had belonged to the treasury of Sultan ‘Ala'u-d-din (Khilji). He (Humayun) got it from the family of Bikramajit, the Raja of Gwaliar. His Majesty, from the nobility of his nature, first accepted it and then returned it to him (Humayun) as a present. On Saturday, 29th Rajab, he began to examine and distribute the treasures and hoards, the collections of many kings. He gave his Majesty Jahanbani, 70 lakhs of Sikandari tankas and a treasure-house of which no account or inventory had been taken. To the Amirs, he gave in accordance with their rank from five to ten lakhs of tankas and to every soldier and servant he gave presents superior to their position. All the man of learning, small and great, were made happy by gifts. No one, either in the camp or the cantonment (urdu-bazar) went without a share in the good fortune.
132.7
The scions of the royal family in Badakhshan, Kabul and Qandahar also received presents, viz., Kamran Mirza, 17 lakhs of tankas; Muhammad Zaman according to their rank 15 lakhs and similarly ‘Askari Mirza, Hindal Mirza and all the ladies of the harem and shining stars of the Khilafat and all the officers and servants who were absent from the dais received in accordance with their degree, jewels and rich varieties and also gold and silver money. Also to all the relatives and dependants, of his Majesty in Samarqand, Khurasan, Kashghar and ‘Iraq, there were sent valuable gifts. Presents too were despatched to the holy sepulchres (mashahid) and blessed shrines in Khurasan, Samarqand, etc. And an order was issued that to every inhabitant of Kabul, Saddara, Warask, Khust, and Badakhshan, male and female, small and great, a shahrukhi should be sent. Thus all and sundry, the élite as well as the commonalty, were fed from the table of his Majesty’s bounty. Verse. From the showering of the jewel-shedding hand, Joy burst out afresh in the world. Pleasant is the gift that cometh from afar, As the Moon sheds light on earth from her sphere.